Help William Walk Again
Donation protected
If you don't know my dad, William J. Newton, Jr., let me paint a picture for you. He is a kind and generous person with a stoic personality. He has always put others first and made sacrifices to help his friends and family. He enjoys working with people to find solutions to their problems. He's serious about his responsibilities but he is warm, light-hearted and known for his sarcastic sense of humor.
As many of you know, Alecia and I lost our mom, Cheryl, to cancer in 1995. We were 9 and 6 years old at the time. We were lucky to have our father who gave us unconditional love and support. He raised us as a single dad, moved us to the city to get a better education, and did his best to fill a void from the loss of our mother.
Over the years, he's provided shelter to friends and acquaintances who endured financial or medical hardship. For much of his life, he worked jobs where he was underpaid & overworked in order to provide stability for his family.
In addition to this, he's been a positive influence to hundreds of people through The Art of Living Foundation. He hosted weekly Kriya Yoga sessions in our home every Sunday for years, which helped bring peace & stability to many lives. In 1999, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stayed at our home in Overland Park, KS, and did teachings there. My dad is very dedicated to his meditation practice and his studies on spirituality, and I am so grateful for his open-mindedness and encouragement over the years.
William did so much for others during his lifetime & now it's our turn to help him have the best quality of life. Please consider becoming a part of his story, and a part of his blessing. (Make sure to click "read more" several times below for the full story.)
BACKGROUND
My father was admitted to the hospital on February 21st and has been fighting for the last month to regain enough of his strength & mobility so he can return home.
For the last three years, he's been in and out of the hospital several times for a reoccurring condition (cerebral small vessel disease a.k.a. microvascular ischemic disease) that has impaired his short-term memory & ability to walk.
However, each time he's managed to recover enough during short-term in-patient rehab to return home. Once home, he's able to get around (assisted by his wife, Kathy) with a walker & wheelchair. He spends his days on an electric adjustable chair and at night in an electric adjustable bed.
At home, he is well taken care of, comfortable & content, and wants to get back there to spend time with those he loves (Kathy, their pets + my sister and I when we travel to visit).
This time he's not rebounding at the same rate and despite 3 weeks of short-term rehab, he is still bedridden. He was able to walk with a walker during one of his sessions, but that's it.
Right now he's physically weak but cheerful and he has a strong desire to get better. Here is a picture of him from a week ago when Kathy was visiting.
(Prior to the mask mandate getting lifted in Texas on March 10th, he was not allowed ANY visitors at the hospital or short-term rehab facility. So, he went 17 days without seeing any family except for the short drive from the hospital.)
THE COSTS
Five days ago he was moved to a skilled nursing facility. He desperately needs consistent physical therapy and 24/7 care to rebuild his strength. But, in 14 days his medicare will stop paying for treatment and it will cost us $184/day to keep him in rehab.
At a bare minimum, they're estimating a $3600 bill for the gap in coverage (18 days), which is due April 2nd. However, this facility is already talking about discharging him on March 27th and charging $7000 a month for any continuing care.
Kathy is currently looking into other places that will be covered by insurance after the gap period, as this facility is not up to our standards and their reviews for rehabilitation are poor. But, our options are limited because of COVID.
I can't predict the extent of his medical needs or what insurance will actually cover. He may need 24/7 care for many more months to give him a chance to recover.
After 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, his medicare coverage ends and all care becomes self-pay. He does not qualify for Medicaid. So, we need all the help we can get.
In the interest of transparency, all funds will go directly to me (his daughter) and I will use them to pay current & future medical bills myself.
Right now his bills are for in-patient care. In the future (if all goes well), this will transition into weekly home health visits ($400+/month) and private physical therapy sessions (I have no idea what this will cost).
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I started this GoFundMe to cover immediate medical costs so my father has a fighting chance to recover. Time is of the essence. The longer he lays in bed without proper treatment from physical therapists, the weaker he becomes.
1. DONATE: If you are able to donate, any amount helps (even if it's only $5). A lot of us contributing a little can make a BIG difference.
2. SHARE THIS PAGE: Reaching more people will give us a much better chance of meeting our goal, so please consider sharing a link to this page with your family, friends & social circles (like local or online communities). Facebook, Email & Text Message are typically the most effective, but anything helps.
3. CALL & WRITE: If you know my father personally, give him a call. He loves to hear from friends and get updates on how their life is going. If he doesn't pick up, leave him a voicemail so he can listen to it later. You can also send him a card or write him a letter. He would appreciate it so much. Reach out to me directly and I'll give you an address.
4. PRAYER & MORAL SUPPORT: Please keep my father in your prayers and send him all the good vibes for healing & recovery.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your help in any form means the world to us. <3 <3 <3
As many of you know, Alecia and I lost our mom, Cheryl, to cancer in 1995. We were 9 and 6 years old at the time. We were lucky to have our father who gave us unconditional love and support. He raised us as a single dad, moved us to the city to get a better education, and did his best to fill a void from the loss of our mother.
Over the years, he's provided shelter to friends and acquaintances who endured financial or medical hardship. For much of his life, he worked jobs where he was underpaid & overworked in order to provide stability for his family.
In addition to this, he's been a positive influence to hundreds of people through The Art of Living Foundation. He hosted weekly Kriya Yoga sessions in our home every Sunday for years, which helped bring peace & stability to many lives. In 1999, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar stayed at our home in Overland Park, KS, and did teachings there. My dad is very dedicated to his meditation practice and his studies on spirituality, and I am so grateful for his open-mindedness and encouragement over the years.
William did so much for others during his lifetime & now it's our turn to help him have the best quality of life. Please consider becoming a part of his story, and a part of his blessing. (Make sure to click "read more" several times below for the full story.)
BACKGROUND
My father was admitted to the hospital on February 21st and has been fighting for the last month to regain enough of his strength & mobility so he can return home.
For the last three years, he's been in and out of the hospital several times for a reoccurring condition (cerebral small vessel disease a.k.a. microvascular ischemic disease) that has impaired his short-term memory & ability to walk.
However, each time he's managed to recover enough during short-term in-patient rehab to return home. Once home, he's able to get around (assisted by his wife, Kathy) with a walker & wheelchair. He spends his days on an electric adjustable chair and at night in an electric adjustable bed.
At home, he is well taken care of, comfortable & content, and wants to get back there to spend time with those he loves (Kathy, their pets + my sister and I when we travel to visit).
This time he's not rebounding at the same rate and despite 3 weeks of short-term rehab, he is still bedridden. He was able to walk with a walker during one of his sessions, but that's it.
Right now he's physically weak but cheerful and he has a strong desire to get better. Here is a picture of him from a week ago when Kathy was visiting.
(Prior to the mask mandate getting lifted in Texas on March 10th, he was not allowed ANY visitors at the hospital or short-term rehab facility. So, he went 17 days without seeing any family except for the short drive from the hospital.)
THE COSTS
Five days ago he was moved to a skilled nursing facility. He desperately needs consistent physical therapy and 24/7 care to rebuild his strength. But, in 14 days his medicare will stop paying for treatment and it will cost us $184/day to keep him in rehab.
At a bare minimum, they're estimating a $3600 bill for the gap in coverage (18 days), which is due April 2nd. However, this facility is already talking about discharging him on March 27th and charging $7000 a month for any continuing care.
Kathy is currently looking into other places that will be covered by insurance after the gap period, as this facility is not up to our standards and their reviews for rehabilitation are poor. But, our options are limited because of COVID.
I can't predict the extent of his medical needs or what insurance will actually cover. He may need 24/7 care for many more months to give him a chance to recover.
After 100 days in a skilled nursing facility, his medicare coverage ends and all care becomes self-pay. He does not qualify for Medicaid. So, we need all the help we can get.
In the interest of transparency, all funds will go directly to me (his daughter) and I will use them to pay current & future medical bills myself.
Right now his bills are for in-patient care. In the future (if all goes well), this will transition into weekly home health visits ($400+/month) and private physical therapy sessions (I have no idea what this will cost).
HOW YOU CAN HELP
I started this GoFundMe to cover immediate medical costs so my father has a fighting chance to recover. Time is of the essence. The longer he lays in bed without proper treatment from physical therapists, the weaker he becomes.
1. DONATE: If you are able to donate, any amount helps (even if it's only $5). A lot of us contributing a little can make a BIG difference.
2. SHARE THIS PAGE: Reaching more people will give us a much better chance of meeting our goal, so please consider sharing a link to this page with your family, friends & social circles (like local or online communities). Facebook, Email & Text Message are typically the most effective, but anything helps.
3. CALL & WRITE: If you know my father personally, give him a call. He loves to hear from friends and get updates on how their life is going. If he doesn't pick up, leave him a voicemail so he can listen to it later. You can also send him a card or write him a letter. He would appreciate it so much. Reach out to me directly and I'll give you an address.
4. PRAYER & MORAL SUPPORT: Please keep my father in your prayers and send him all the good vibes for healing & recovery.
Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your help in any form means the world to us. <3 <3 <3
Organizer
Elaina Newton
Organizer
Richardson, TX